CPU for PLEX Build

[ces160]

Hi All, 

 

I'm currently planing my PLEX home server build and need some help deciding on which CPU to buy.

 

I have narrowed it down to these three;

 

E3-1220 v5 $285

E3-1225 v5 $339

E3-1230 v5 $389

 

I'm in AUS so thats why the prices are higher than in the states. 

 

I intend to run FreeNas and use it as a home file server and PLEX media server. I live with allot of people so at times there may be up to 3 or 4 simultaneous PLEX streams at the same time (currently running a i5 2500 and with three streams being transcoded from 1080p to 720p @ 4mbps it gets a little stutters and needs to buffer some times). 

 

I am leaning towards the 1220 as it is the cheapest, but for an extra $100 the 1230 has hyper threading and is clocked higher on the base clock by 0.4Ghz and 0.3Ghz on the turbo. 

 

Do you think springing the extra $100 for the 1230 is worth the money or will the 1220 do the job?

 

Thanks!

 

[Simon771]

I don't think PLEX acctually needs so much power.

4 core should do just fine. PLEX server can be also set on some NAD devices that have 4 core 1,2GHz CPU. Buth those are A9 chips or something like that, so not so much powerfull CPU.

E3 1220v5 should be more than enough for that task.

 

Even you i5 2500 should handle that without any problems so I'm wondering why do you get stuttering. Are you sure it's because of slow CPU?

[SaladFingers]

I've been using Plex for more than a year on an older machine with worse CPUs than those and have it scan for file changes every 15 minutes and honestly I can't even tell that my CPUs are being stressed at all.

 

I've even tried on the fly transcoding with H264 content, didn't struggle much either and I think you'd probably not even use that feature.

 

I'd say grab the 1220 and only go for the more expensive model if you will be using the computer for more server applications like Plex at the same time.

 

Edit: Is there a specific reason you need to transcode for every client? Most modern TVs and phones will play back most encoding types. What players are the clients using?

[Simon771]

Ah I didn't notice that 3 or 4 are using it at the same time ...

Still worth cehcking out, at what load is your CPU when there are 4 active clients, to see if the problem is realy in your CPU. Could be connection problem also.

[Lurick]

If you're only transcoding at 720p then the 1220 should do the job very well, even the i5 can do the job but it's reaching near it's limits. If you intend to go for 1080 streaming for 4 to 5 people then spring for the 1230, and maybe a little extra RAM too, depending on what you have already installed.